Wednesday, April 12, 2017

ILGCN CALLING -- April, 2017(Note: ILGCN information now both on facebook and on websitewww.ilgcn.tupilak.org)

VILNIUS, STOCKHOLM:

Successful meetings in the Lithuanian and Swedish capitals at the end of March discussing preparations for 2nd Nordic Rainbow History & Art Month - October, 2017 -- now planned for 12 Nordic nations on both sides of the Baltic Sea. Agreement that colleagues from Belarus should be included in as many of the sessions as possible. Calls of support and exchange for the new Bears of Belarus - "Lokys."

TALLINN:

ILGCN-supported Bears International will participate in the Bearty-Tallinn meeting in the Estonian capital April 19-22.​

STOCKHOLM:

May 17 IDAHOT Day is planned in the Swedish capital with presentations, art, films, poetry -- with secial salutes to colleagues in the dictatorships of Chechnya and Belarus. (Together with Tupilak(Nordic rainbow culture workers), Bears International, Nordic Rainbow Humanists, etc.)

WESTPRIDE - GOTHENBURG:

ILGCN seminars on rainbow history, culture, identity, Bears, together with Tupilak and Bears International will take place at this Pride event in the western Swedish city of Gothenburg June 7-9.

ILGCN plans to participate in the annual, rotating Baltic Pride this time taking place in the Estonian capital, July 6-9.

STOCKHOLM, UMEÅ, SÖDERTÄLJE, RAKVERE, VILNIUS, ETC.:

The ILGCN's 2nd NORDIC HISTORY & ART MONTH - October, 2017 (together with Tupilak, Bears International, etc.) will take place in 12 Nordic cities on both sides of the Baltic Sea. ILGCN abassadors, co-ordinators, etc. are very welcome!

AWARD SUGGESTION:

That the 2017 Orfeo Imago goes to the photo and video collective, "Atonal" with members from Poland, Sweden, Greece and Norway.

Suggestions for other ILGCN award diplomas welcome!

ERATO:

Material, information, photos, graphics for the next "Erato" welcome at the ILGCN Information Secretariat-Stockholm!

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Budapest/Stockholm -- ILGCN's next international rainbow conference and culture event will be on July 3-4 as part of the opening days of Budapest Pride-2017.

"We hope that other ILGCN ambassadors, co-ordinators and supporters will join us for seminars, art and photo exhibitions and film screenings, " says Bill Schiller of the ILGCN Information Secretariat in Stockholm. "Of course one seminar will be on the importance of LGBT History & Art Months in Budapest, London, Edinburgh and other cities -- and the 2nd Nordic Rainbow Culture Month - October, 2017 -- this time, in 12 Nordic cities on both sides of the Baltic Sea."

"This is especially important at this time when the dictatorial Hungarian regime is trying to close the liberal-orientated Central European University in Budapest -- the best in the country and the site of earlier ILGCN seminars on Nordic rainbow culture and history at the annual Budapest LGBT History Month in February," adds Schiller.

"We of course will also have Hungarian and other rainbow music at this July event," says Thomas Lovas, a member of the ILGCN cultural ambassadors of Budapest -- the folk, classic and musical-playing Trio Continuo in Budapest.

Vilnius -- At a international rainbow conference in the Lithuanian capital at the end of March, 2017, a new Belarus Bears organization has been formed to help combat stereotypes from Belarus media, politicians and homophobes that gays are weak, soft, "half men" and undeserving of human rights and respect.

We the delegates to the international journalist conference in Vilnius 24-26th March 2017 strongly protest against the continuing police arrest of Belarussian and foreign journalists in Minsk.

We demand immediate release of those detained and demand judicial investigation of police brutality and other misconduct against those arrested.

We demand that the rule of law is upheld to safeguard freedom of speech and freedom of assembly in Belarus. These police actions damage the already tarnished image of Belarus as a modern democratic nation.